Beginning their second year in the business of fear, Night of Terrors is back! This year, the family-run attraction is bringing its show to the southern Denver metro area, located just a few blocks from Evans and Santa Fe Drive. In addition to featuring a variety of fun opportunities for visitors before entering the haunt itself, throughout the season, Night of Terrors will also host food trucks, providing loads of fun and entertainment for guests. Make your plans to stop by and get scared this season!
The cast at Night of Terrors is a small but tight knit group that inhabits its twisting paths, breathing life into the foggy corridors, though the haunt would have benefitted from more actors. The cast we did see, however, brought energy to their performances, particularly one cackling cretin who stalked the later part of the haunt, first glimpsing us eerily from behind a corpse before finding us again a little later on the path. Most of the cast members we encountered interacted with us in a variety of ways, from aggressively charging forward to more subtle but scary movements through the fog, and those actors donned a good variety of looks. Overall, the cast was one of the bright spots at Night of Terrors.
The costumes at Night of Terrors were simple but effective. The actors we encountered all wore masks, which could have used a bit of eye black in some spots to complete the look, but the masks were cool, including an uncommon carved skull one, which melded into the dense fog well, providing the actor with a great opportunity to spring unseen from the misty vapors. The costumes all fit their scenes well, being sufficiently nondescript. Speaking of costumes, Night of Terrors also features a gift shop at the end of the haunt that has an entire wall of Halloween costumes available for purchase.
Finding information about and getting to Night of Terrors is a piece of cake. Plugging the address into any map app will get you there, and the location is conveniently just off a major intersection. There is also a large parking lot, allowing guests to pack in while also leaving room for the food truck that will serve the space for most of the season. Finding information is as easy as visiting the haunt’s website or Instagram page, both of which are available either via a quick Google search or linked on the haunt’s page here on The Scare Factor. Despite the cast making us believe the contrary, there was nothing truly dangerous in the haunt. But, word to the wise, you’ll clearly want to watch your footing!
We generally try to avoid opening nights for all the myriad reasons one would suspect, but Night of Terrors threw open their doors nonetheless and welcomed us in! As a result, there were certain aspects of the attraction that weren’t yet in place, such as the presence of a food truck. That addition, which will be in place for the rest of the season, will do a great job of fleshing out the area outside of the haunt, creating a bit of a haunted courtyard effect between the truck and the building, and giving guests a place to hang out and grab a bite to eat before going in and getting scared. Once through security and into the haunt’s lobby, guests can spin a big wheel with an opportunity to win a prize, including a free visit to the attraction’s 3D Video booth. That same sort of vibe continues upon exiting the attraction, where guests are sent through a small gift shop area, complete with the aforementioned wall of Halloween costumes, that also has plans to offer popcorn and hot dogs, providing further fare for the famished.
The immersion inside of the haunt is consistent, as well. Folks familiar with some higher-end retail animatronics will see a few favorites and familiar decor. Guests’ minds may wander a bit, but the cast and setup of the pathway through the haunt bring it back easily. Even one actor, who had to take pity on our poor lost souls and help direct us to the curtain we repeatedly missed in the haze of confusion, remained in character despite the required act of kindness.
The sound effects were either produced by the animatronics or actors, other than the beautifully booming background music, which itself produced a nervous excitement in the listener. The design of the haunt’s path was well done, providing several spots for cast members or animatronics to provide scares, while packing in creepy space, making the haunt longer. Night of Terrors also did a great job utilizing large mirrors that made the spaces feel larger while also setting guests up for the unique experience of themselves being the creepy things moving in the corners. I’ve never been one to jump at my own shadow, but apparently the same doesn’t hold true for my own reflection! Although the haunt leans heavily on a few retail Halloween tricks, it also does a good job of using some well-known haunters’ treats as well, such as pairing fog and lighting to fully disorient visitors and completing the vibe.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 7.1
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 8
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 6.94
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 7.13
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 6.5
One of the first questions we got upon approaching the haunt entrance was how we were going to split up. We arrived as a group of four, but only three at a time are allowed through, instantly requiring us to figure out how to split up. This threw us off kilter a little, which set the mood for the haunt. As experienced crew members know, splitting groups up is a great way to stir fear, and it began before we ever set foot on the haunted path! That also allowed the actors to provide more focus on each person, rather than having to choose just one victim. Given the combination of animatronics, other distractions (like those darned mirrors making us jump at our own visages), cast, and the design of the path through the haunt, Night of Terrors did a fair job of bringing the scares without going over the top or relying on gore for scares. In fact, one of the most unexpected scares came near the end, set up by a combination of a jumping spider, a barrel, and a life-sized marionette animatronic. While Night of Terrors isn’t the most frightening haunt in Colorado, it is a frightfully good time!
Night of Terrors runs guests $30 for admission, with the option to add on the 3D Video for those not lucky enough to win a free video on the big wheel. At approximately 12 minutes of haunt time, that does make it among the pricier haunted attractions in the Denver metro area per minute; however, they’re still able to keep the total ticket price within reach. This is a great option for people not looking for an hours-long experience that can break the bank, but are instead looking for a haunt that’s about having fun with friends and family. Guests are even welcome to contact Night of Terrors if planning to attend with younger kids to ensure that the whole family has a haunting experience with just the right amount of fright!
790 W Evans Ave., Denver, Colorado 80223
